This invention relates to a sealable container and in particular, to a container useful as a sterilization chest.
Sterilization chests which have been used heretofore have been generally hemispherically shaped containers having a domed closure member and a check valve which can be manually opened. Typically, the instruments are placed in the chest and the chest is placed in an autoclave and subjected therein to a heating and cooling cycle for thermal sterilization of the instruments. When the chest is removed from the autoclave, it remains under vacuum until the valve is opened, preparatory to use of the instruments. A common failing of these prior steam chests is the malfunctioning of the manual valve from rust and mechanical wear, resulting in loss of the vacuum seal and requiring frequent and increasing need for repeated autoclaving.